Complicated Desire

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"I miss the days where we had a family dinner, and actually got to eat dinner," Matt spoke as he dropped himself onto the couch, Kara landing right beside them.

Kade gave her a soft kiss before walking past her and into the kitchen. "I'll whip something up. Just wish your mother had been up to joining us."

She'd found out early on that Kade wasn't in the least bit full of shit about his cooking skills. The man could have easily made his living as a five star chef. Still could, if he ever grew bored with retirement.

"I guess dad called her right after she left, telling us all we should come back," Matt said from the couch, then wiped his hands over the scuff on his face. "Said that he just needed a few minutes to sort things out in his head, and he hadn't thought we'd all just leave him like that."

Her father had locked himself away in his office during the engagement, running away from the situation like he'd done before. He didn't say all he needed was a few minutes, and it felt like the evening and attempts at reconciliation had come to a close.

Bianca blew the hair out of her face and walked into the kitchen to watch Kade get to work. "Well, I'm done being the one to go to him. I wasn't the one who fucked this up, so I shouldn't be the one actively trying to fix it."

"I fully agree," Kade said as he rummaged through some drawers. "When I went out to the porch, it wasn't so much to have a talk with him, I wanted to get a feel for the situation. That he was out there rather than inside with his family was all I needed to see. He was a man who was hoping this would all magically repair itself, and everything would go back to the way it was.

"I'm grateful I said my peace, but that I could have done all on my own. Michael shouldn't have suggested a family dinner if he wasn't ready to see you and I as a family, and I shouldn't have encouraged us to go before having time to see for myself if he was truly prepared to put in the effort.

"And speaking of you and I being family," he continued as he came up from the drawers and held a ring in the air. "Your ring, as promised."

Bianca clapped her hands and did a short-lived happy dance, then slid her mother's ring off her finger so Kade could replace it with the one he'd purchased for her. It sparkled on her hand. Detailed, but not showy. "It's perfect. Really."

"You can thank Kara for that. I sent her a photo of the one I intended to buy, and she told me absolutely not, and showed up at the store ten minutes later."

"You knew about this?" Matt asked, his voice slightly louder than usual, though still contained.

Kara just shrugged. "My dad needed help. If it were up to him, Bianca would have a five-pound ring on her finger. So, you're welcome."

"I wanted everyone in a ten-mile radius to know she was taken," Kade argued. "But I agree, this one suits your tastes better."

"And doesn't come with a fifty grand price tag. You don't like big jewelry, and my dad seems to forget that he no longer has income coming in like he used to."

"What I've made in the stock market this year would have covered the cost of the ring."

Bianca's lips parted at Kade's confession. Obviously, she knew he had money, but hadn't really thought about what that amount entailed. During the renovations of the house, he hadn't batted an eye when given prices for projects or potential upgrades. When ordering furniture and appliances, Kade only looked at top-rated items, paying no heed to the cost.

What surprised her most when meeting Kade was how down-to-earth he'd been. Simple clothing, rugged appearance, relaxed demeanor. He'd worn a suit the next day, which appeared tailored to fit, but at the end of the night, Kade took her to see his house for the first time, and what she noticed was that his house wasn't much bigger than the open concept section of the house he'd bought his daughter. His entire house could have fit in her kitchen, living room, and dining space.

She should have pieced it together. Kade had brought up having a house in Argentina, as well as having a house a few hours north, when he wanted to get away from the city. There'd been no reason to ask him about his bank account, while they were living separately, because it was none of her business. So long as he could afford his lifestyle, which was a simple one, it didn't matter. Bianca herself had a part-time job now, working as a receptionist at a dental office, so she could at least pay for the utilities for the guest house and groceries. 

"You okay, Bianca?" Kade asked when she'd remained quiet, stuck in her own head.

She was, but it was a bit much to take in. "Please never buy me anything that costs that much."

Letting him pay for the house, renovations, and furniture to fill said house was one thing. It was for the both of them. It was for the future they were building. But Bianca was not a showy person. While most everything inside this house was brand new, minus the things they kept, none of it was showy. Just highly rated for its quality. Except for the appliances. Bianca didn't even know an eight thousand dollar fridge existed, let alone the seven thousand dollar stove.

Kade just smiled at her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "If it makes you uncomfortable, I won't."

"Thank you."

Kara lifted herself off the couch and made her way into the kitchen. "Champagne in here?" She asked, pointing to the giant, costly fridge.

"I don't think we have any," Bianca admitted.

"They're in the wine cooler," Kade told his daughter before turning his attention back to Bianca. "I knew I'd be proposing soon and wanted to be prepared."

It was fair. She found it strange when he had the wine cooler installed, despite neither of them actually liking wine, so it was nice to know the appliance served some purpose, as they both enjoyed the occasional glass of champagne.

Kara pulled a bottle out and placed it on the counter. "I say we toast to the happy couple, so Matt and I can get the hell out of here, and the two of you can have your own celebration."

"Fucking hell," Matt muttered, practically drooping off the couch to join them. "Can we at least agree that no one gets referred to by their new titles?"

Bianca did her best to feign worry, though she couldn't control the twitch of her lips. "Oh, son, what's the matter? Do you want to sit down and talk about it? Maybe do a mom and son day together, so you don't feel so excluded? Just because your father-in-law and I are getting married doesn't mean we won't have as much time to spend with you."

Though Kara laughed, Matt's eyes pinched closed and hands balled into fists. "I love you, Bianca, but I hate you so goddamn much right now."